Teaching Artist & Social Media Associate (Part-Time)

Part-Time | Tribeca & Upper West Side **About Cocoon** Cocoon is a rapidly expanding, members-only club for families, offering a blend of play spaces, classes, and community support inspired by Montessori and Reggio Emilia philosophies. Located in Tribeca and the Upper West Side, Cocoon is committed to inclusivity—every membership fee supports prenatal and postpartum programming for parents of all income levels. **Position Overview** Cocoon is seeking a creative, hands-on, and personable Teaching Artist & Social Media Associate to help bring our community to life through visual arts, creative projects, and digital storytelling. This unique role is ideal for someone with a passion for the visual arts who enjoys working with a variety of materials, creating beautiful and engaging environments, and connecting with children and families. From developing artistic displays and installations to facilitating occasional hands-on art experiences, you'll help bring creativity into everyday life at Cocoon. You'll also play an important role in growing Cocoon's digital presence, increasing social media engagement, and supporting our broader marketing efforts through photography, video, social media management, graphic design, and email marketing, while also supporting our front desk and member experience. Our ideal candidate has a background in visual arts, a strong aesthetic sensibility, proven experience managing social media accounts, and confidence working with both physical and digital creative tools. We're looking for someone who appreciates Cocoon's open-ended, child-led philosophy of education and believes in the importance of creativity, experimentation, and self-expression. Whether you're creating with your hands, capturing a beautiful moment on camera, developing content that connects with new audiences, or welcoming a family into our space, you'll bring warmth, imagination, and attention to detail to everything you do. No task is too small and no idea too big. We value creativity, initiative, collaboration, and a genuine love of children and families. **Key Responsibilities** **1. Creative Arts & Hands-On Projects** * Collaborate with Cocoon's Education, Events, and Brand teams to conceptualize and execute creative, arts-based projects across our clubhouses. * Design and create artistic displays, installations, and visual elements that enhance Cocoon's spaces, classrooms, and special events. * Support the thoughtful presentation and display of children's artwork and collaborative art projects throughout our clubhouses. * Facilitate hands-on art and materials-based experiences with children and families, encouraging exploration, experimentation, and shared creativity. * Work confidently and creatively with a variety of materials, including paint, paper, textiles, clay, natural materials, and mixed media. * Help source, prepare, and organize art materials for creative projects and installations. * Contribute fresh artistic ideas that reflect Cocoon's aesthetic and educational philosophy. * Embrace an open-ended approach to artmaking, emphasizing the creative process, curiosity, and self-expression rather than predetermined outcomes. **2. Content Creation, Social Media & Marketing** * Capture engaging, high-quality photography and video during classes, events, creative projects, and everyday moments at Cocoon. * Manage Cocoon's social media channels, particularly Instagram and Facebook, including content planning, creation, scheduling, publishing, and community engagement. * Develop and execute creative social media strategies to grow our audience, increase engagement, strengthen brand awareness, and support membership marketing efforts. * Edit photography and video to a polished, visually compelling standard that reflects Cocoon's brand and aesthetic. * Create graphic design assets for social media, digital marketing, and occasional printed materials. * Develop creative ways to document and communicate children's artistic processes, educational experiences, and the connections that develop within our community. * Stay current on social media trends and proactively suggest new content formats, campaigns, and storytelling opportunities to attract and engage both existing and prospective members. * Monitor social media performance, including reach, engagement, audience growth, and content effectiveness, and use insights to continuously improve our marketing efforts. * Help maintain a cohesive and engaging visual identity across Cocoon's digital platforms. **3. Email Marketing & Digital Communications** * Draft, design, and distribute email campaigns and newsletters to Cocoon members and prospective members. * Create visually engaging email content highlighting Cocoon's programming, events, educational experiences, and community. * Maintain and segment email lists as needed. * Track and report on email campaign performance, using insights to improve engagement and support marketing goals. **4. Front Desk & Member Experience** * Warmly greet members and guests, creating a welcoming and engaging environment for children and their grownups. * Check members and guests in for classes, events, and other programming. * Answer phone calls, emails, and in-person questions about Cocoon's programming and membership. * Help maintain a clean, organized, and aesthetically welcoming front desk and entrance area. * Support day-to-day administrative and operational tasks as needed. * Build positive relationships with members and families, demonstrating warmth, professionalism, and genuine enthusiasm for our community. **5. Cross-Team Collaboration** * Work closely with the Education, Events, Membership, and Brand teams to support creative initiatives and ensure content reflects what's happening across Cocoon. * Assist with creative preparations, displays, and installations for special events and seasonal programming. * Support photography and video documentation of birthday parties, educational programming, and community events. * Collaborate with the Brand and Membership teams to identify content and marketing opportunities that increase awareness of Cocoon and encourage prospective member interest. * Proactively identify opportunities to enhance Cocoon's physical spaces, creative programming, visual storytelling, and overall member experience. **Qualifications** **Required Skills & Experience** * Strong visual arts skills, with demonstrated creativity, artistic ability, and confidence working with a variety of art materials and techniques. * Prior experience managing social media accounts for a brand, business, or organization, including content creation, scheduling, publishing, and audience engagement. * Demonstrated understanding of social media marketing strategies, audience growth, engagement, and performance metrics. * Experience with photography and video, including shooting and editing, with examples of previous work. * Graphic design skills and familiarity with creative tools such as Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar platforms. * A strong aesthetic sensibility and attention to detail, with the ability to translate creative ideas into both physical projects and digital content. * A genuine love of children, families, art, and creative exploration. * An appreciation for open-ended, child-led learning and the value of artistic experimentation and self-expression. * Comfortable engaging warmly and professionally with children and adults in a busy, family-focused environment. * Excellent written and verbal communication skills. * Strong organizational skills, reliability, punctuality, and the ability to balance multiple responsibilities. * A collaborative, proactive attitude and willingness to contribute wherever needed. **Preferred Qualifications** * Educational or professional background in fine arts, visual arts, art education, graphic design, or a related creative field. * Previous experience working with children and families in an educational, artistic, recreational, or community setting. * Experience facilitating hands-on art projects or creative workshops with children. * Experience creating artistic displays, installations, exhibitions, or event decorations. * Familiarity with Montessori, Reggio Emilia, or other child-centered educational philosophies. * Experience with email marketing platforms such as Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or similar tools. * Experience creating content for a lifestyle, education, hospitality, or family-focused brand. * Experience developing social media campaigns that have successfully increased engagement, audience growth, or customer interest. **Position Details** Primary Location: Cocoon Tribeca, NYC, with occasional work at our Upper West Side clubhouse. **Schedule:** * Saturday: 9:00 AM–12:30 PM * Sunday: 9:00 AM–2:30 PM * Monday: 10:00 AM–4:00 PM * Tuesday: 10:00 AM–4:00 PM Approximately 21 hours per week. Some flexibility with days and hours may be possible for the right candidate. Occasional travel between our Tribeca and Upper West Side locations will be required. Compensation: $20–$25 per hour, based on experience. Work Location: In person. **How to Apply** Please submit your resume along with the following materials as part of your application: * Visual Arts Portfolio (Required): Examples of your hands-on creative work, such as painting, sculpture, mixed media, textile work, installations, artistic displays, or other visual arts projects. * Social Media Portfolio (Required): Links to social media accounts you have managed for a brand, business, or organization, along with examples of content you created. Please briefly describe your role in managing the accounts and, if available, share examples of how your work contributed to audience growth or increased engagement. * Photography & Video Samples (Required): Examples of photography and video you have shot and edited, ideally including content created for social media or marketing. If you have experience facilitating art projects with children, developing creative installations, or designing artistic displays, please include examples of this work as well. We're looking for someone who brings both artistic imagination and practical marketing skills, and who is excited to contribute to a community where art, play, learning, and family life come together. Applications must include both a visual arts portfolio and examples of previously managed social media accounts to be considered. Pay: $20.00 - $25.00 per hour Application Question(s): * Please share a link to your visual arts portfolio (required), with examples of your hands-on creative work such as painting, sculpture, mixed media, textile work, installations, or artistic displays. Experience: * Photography: 2 years (Required) * Video editing: 2 years (Required) * Copywriting: 2 years (Required) * Working with children: 2 years (Preferred) * Social media management: 2 years (Required) Work Location: In person